Swimming device



Dec. 3, 1963 B. GIRDEN 3,112,503

SWIMMING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. BARNEY B. GIRDEN ATTORNEY Dec. 3, 1963 GIRDEN 35112503 SWZRMMING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.8

FIG.9

FIG. IO

INVENTOR BARNEY B. GIRDEN ATTOR NEY 'ilnited States Patent O 3,112,5il3 SWIMMING DEVHQE Barney B. Girden, North Stonington, Conn. (RD. 1, Norwich, Conn.) Filed Aug. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 213,950 7 Claims. ((13. 9-309) This invention relates to a swimming device, and more particularly to a swimimng device for propelling the body through water, such as fins or the like, which will provide a neutral buoyancy to the legs of a swimmer.

Swimming devices, particularly those worn on the feet, such as fins, are quite widely used by aquatic sportsmen and others engaged in water pursuits. It is quite Well known that the legs and feet of a swimmer have a negative buoyancy in water. Therefore it becomes necessary for a person to overcome such negative buoyancy to learn how to swim to keep his feet from sinking.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved swimming devices which are attached to the feet of a swimmer to propel the body through the water yet which will overcome the negative buoyancy of the feet.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a device in conjunction with conventional swimming fins adapted to provide neutral buoyancy to the legs of a swimmer to enable the swimmer to maintain a stable equilibrium in any position in the water, thus allowing the swimmer to stay in a position of rest when desired for prolonged periods, whether the swimmer is in a swimming or floating position.

In accomplishing the foregoing and other objects of the present invention there is provided a buoyant material, impervious to water, which is incorporated in the conventional fin so as to form a unitary device therewith. The buoyant material may be secured to and form a part of the fins at any convenient point or portion thereupon without aifecting the driving power of the fin. The amount of buoyant material calculated to assist the swimmer and to provide a neutral buoyancy is of course dependent upon the material used, and physical stature of the person employing the device according to the present invention.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those versed in the art from the following description of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like characters refer to like parts in the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the present invention attached to the feet of a swimmer;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a swimming device showing the buoyant material secured thereto in the sole of the FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of 'FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a fin showing the position of the buoyant portion at the bottom of said fin;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the fin as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a fin showing the buoyant portion thereof secured to the heel portion of said fin;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional View of the fin shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a fin having an inflatable member secured thereto to provide buoyancy to said fin; and

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fin of FIG. 9 showing the inflatable member in an inflated state.

Referring now to the drawings, the swimming device it according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 attached to the foot of a swimmer, and comprises a bee portion 11, joined to a sole portion 12 which is provided with a forwardly extending fin portion 13. A hollow foot pocket 14 having a convex curvature extends from the left to the right sides of the sole portion d2 and is provided with an orifice '15 at the forward end of the sole portion 12. The fin portion 13, which is relatively fiat, may be provided with tapered sides 16 extending from the re ion of the instep to the forward end of the fins 13 so as to form a substantially hollow undersurface v17 in the area along which said sides '16 extend.

The swimming device .10 is further provided with a buoyant member 29 assuming the configuration of and secured to the sole 1 2 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Said buoyant member 2o is fabricated of a water-impervious material preferably of an expanded polyethylene foam having an extremely low water absorption and adsorption factor. The. amount of material necessary to provide the buoyancy required is of course dependent upon the particular material used, and the distribution of buoyancy in the body of the person employing the device of the present invention. in this connection, it has been found that a pound buoyancy is required for the average child and 3 pounds for a large adult, with a 2 pound buoyancy factor considered average for the average adult individual.

As has heretofore been indicated, placement of the buoyant material may be conveniently secured to the fins at any area of the swimming device except where it might interfere with the driving power of the fin. As illustrated in FIGS. 4-6, the buoyant member 25 is secured along the hollow undersurface 17 of the swimming device 1%. For protective purposes a coating 25 of rubber or the like is additionally layered there-upon for protective purposes against rough surfaces, especially where the wearer finds it necessary to tread upon such a surface.

The buoyant member 3ft may further be appended as by layering or the like to the swimming device it) as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 so as to be disposed upon the outer surface of the heel portion l1. Securement thereto may be by an appropriate adhesive (not shown) or by means allowing for seourement and removability therefrom.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, the buoyant member 35 may be comprised of an inflatable bladder appended to the underpor-tion of the sole portion 12 with means provided for inflating said buoyant member 35 when desired.

Although the present invention has been described with respect to a specific swimming fin structure, it is within the ambit herein that other modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as described and defined.

I claim:

1. A fin adapted to be mounted on a swimmers foot comprising 1 (a) a shoe-like member having a sole, heel and foot receiving pocket;

(b) a web-like extension projecting forwardly from said sole of the shoe-like member and being integral with the latter to permit the transmission therethrough of substantial propulsive forces; and

(c) a cellular buoyant member permanently secured to said shoe-like member so as to avoid interference with the transmission of said propulsive forces through said web-like extension to the water, said buoyant member contributing suificient buoyancy to said fin to overcome the negative buoyancy of the leg of a swimmer having its foot received in said pocket.

2. A fin as in claim 1; wherein said buoyant member is of a water-impervious expanded polyethylene foam material on the outside of said shoe-like member.

3. A fin as in claim 2; wherein said buoyant member underlies said sole of the shoe-like member.

4. A fin as in claim 2; wherein said buoyant member extends around said heel of the shoe-like member.

5. A swimming device adapted to be mounted on a foot comprising:

(a) a heel portion; ([1) a sole portion joined to said heel portion and extending forwardly therefrom; (c) a fin portion extending forwardly from said sole portion; (d) a foot receiving pocket formed over said sole portion; (e) a .pair of vertical side members extending downwardly from both sides of said sole portion to form a hollow portion thereunder; (f) a buoyant member secured within said hollow portion, and (g) a protective layer member. 6. A swimming device adapted to be mounted on a foot comprising:

(a) a heel portion; ,(b) a sole portion joined to said heel portion and extending forwardly therefrom;

enveloping said buoyant 4 (c) a fin portion extending forwardly from said sole portion; (d) a foot receiving pocket formed over said sole portion; (e) a pair of vertical side members extending downwardly from both sides of said sole portion to form a hollow portion thereunder, and (f) buoyant means secured within said hollow portion. 7. A swimming device according to claim 5; wherein said buoyant member is fabricated of a water-impervious expanded polyethylene foam material.

References Eited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,627,521 Menschel May 3, 1927 2,343,468 Messinger Mar. 7, 1944 2,715,231 Marston Aug. 16, 1955 2,737,668 Cressi Mar. 13, 1956 2,745,119 Whipple -1 May 15, 1956 3,037,220 Jantzen June 5, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 759,521 Great Britm'n Oct. 17, 1956 

1. A FIN ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A SWIMMER''S FOOT COMPRISING (A) A SHOE-LIKE MEMBER HAVING A SOLE, HEEL AND FOOT RECEIVING POCKET; (B) A WEB-LIKE EXTENSION PROJECTING FORWARDLY FROM SAID SOLE OF THE SHOE-LIKE MEMBER AND BEING INTEGRAL WITH THE LATTER TO PERMIT THE TRANSMISSION THERETHROUGH OF SUBSTANTIAL PROPULSIVE FORCES; AND (C) A CELLULAR BUOYANT MEMBER PERMANENTLY SECURED TO SAID SHOE-LIKE MEMBER SO AS TO AVOID INTERFERENCE WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF SAID PROPULSIVE FORCES THROUGH SAID WEB-LIKE EXTENSION TO THE WATER, SAID BUOYANT MEMBER CONTRIBUTING SUFFICIENT BUOYANCY TO SAID FIN TO OVERCOME THE NEGATIVE BUOYANCY OF THE LEG OF A SWIMMER HAVING ITS FOOT RECEIVED IN SAID POCKET. 